Container clamp for liquid mixing apparatus



- July 14,- 1959 H. S. BRZOWSKI CONTAINER CLAMP FOR LIQUID MIXING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1957 1N VENTOR H IR RY 5. BRZOWSK/ rron/vs) CONTAINER CLAlVlP FQR LIQUID MIXING APPARATUS Harry S. Brzowski, South Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 10, 1957, Serial No. 701,902

Claims. (Cl; 24-263) This invention relates generally to a clamp for a liquid mixing apparatus and more particularly to an imin for mixing it.

The improved clamp of the present invention is especially adapted for utilization on paint mixing apparatus of the type employed by retail outlets for mixing the contents of cans of paint that have been purchased by customers. The paint is usually packaged in pint, quart or gallon cans by the manufacturer, and as the paint is stored in inventory, the pigment settles to the bottom of the can, separating from the vehicle or liquid portion of the mixture. Before being applied, these components of the paint must be thoroughly mixed to form a uniform mixture, and as a service to the customers, many retailers are equipped With a power operated mixing apparatus which vigorously oscillates the can of paint to mix its contents so that the customer need only stir it lightly immediately before using it.

In such paint mixing machines, a clamp is provided for firmly securing the can of paint to the apparatus while the apparatus operates to oscillate the can for the purpose of mixing its contents. The clamp usually comprises two jaws, with the can being located between the jaws which are tightened onto the can to secure it. The jaws presently available for this purpose are constructed so that only one can of paint can be mixed at a time, whether it be a gallon, quart or pint can. Frequently a customer will purchase several quart or pint cans of paint, and since the jaws of the clamp will only receive one can of paint at a time, considerable time is consumed while each can is placed in the mixing apparatus individually for its contents to be mixed, wasting the time of both the customer and the salesclerk.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved clamp for paint mixing apparatus which is especially adapted to receive up to four quart or pint cans of paint for clamping them to the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved clamp for paint mixing apparatus having jaws that will secure one gallon can, or four or less quart or pint cans between them in a minimum area, so that the simple and inexpensive but sturdy construction and efiicient in operation.

. United States Patent er ice According to this invention the improved container clamp comprises a pair of jaws adapted to clamp either one gallon can or from one to four quart or pint cans of paint between them at a time. The two jaws are of like construction with one complementing the other for receiving the cans of paint between them. Each of the jaws is of a four leaf clover configuration. having a lip or ridge about its entire edge with the lip extending laterally from the surface of the jaw for retaining the cans of paint within the area of the jaw. As the lip progresses about the edge of the jaw it forms four approximately semi-circular arcs, each of sufiicient radius to receive the top or bottom of a quart can of paint within the arc, so that up to four quart cans may be clamped between the jaws at one time.

Each of the four arcs terminates at a line which is on a circle of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a gallon can of paint. As the lip progresses from the terminal of one arc to the terminal of the successful arc it follows the path of the same circle to create four arcs of relatively short length spaced about the circle. Since these four short arcs formed by the lip have the same radius, they will receive the one gallon can of paint with the lip extending beyond the bottom or the top of the gallon can to retain the can between the two jaws as the mixing operation is being performed and the one gallon can will occupy a portion of the area that would otherwise be occupied by the one quart cans. Thus the jaws will accommodate one gallon can or up to four quart cans in a minimum of space.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, may be achieved by means of the apparatus described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a liquid mixing machine clamp incorporating the features of the present invention, the clamp being shown assembled to the mixing machine which is indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the top jaw of the clamp shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the bottom jaw of the clamp shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the top jaw of the clamp illustrated in Figure 1, being shown partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the bottom jaw of the clamp depicted in Figure 1, being shown partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section with the view being located directly adjacent to the view of the top jaw in Figure 4 to illustrate how the two jaws complement each other.

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings and specifically to Figure 1 thereof illustrating a paint and liquid mixing aparatus equipped with a container clamp incorporating the features of the present invention. The apparatus comprises an electric motor 20 having a pulley 21 connected to drive a cooperating pulley 22 by a V belt 23. The pulley 22 is connected to drive a motion producing apparatus which functions to effect a rotary reciprocating movement of a shaft 24 and may at the same time oscillate the shaft 24 axially or laterally to generate a compound motion for mixing paint or other liquid contained in a receptacle 25 which is indicated in Figure 1 by broken lines.

The cylindrical container 25 is secured. to the mixing apparatus by a clamp generally identified by the reference numeral 30 and which is attached to the shaft 24 for movement with it to agitate the contents of the receptacle 25. The features of the present invention are incorporated in the clamp 30 which is adapted rote employed with a variety of motion producing apparatus,

and since the latter does not form a part of the present left hand female thread 7 formed therein for engagement with a cooperating thread formed on the lower portion of a screw 33. The top jaw 6 is provided with a similar cylindrical boss 34 having a right hand female thread 8 formed therein for engagement with the complementary thread formed on the upper portion of the screw 33.

The screw 33 is journalled in the bracket 31 with its axis intersecting the axis of the shaft 24 so that it is centrally located relative thereto. The upper extremity of the screw 33 is provided with a squared end 35 for receiving a crank (not shown) by means of which the screw 33 may be rotated for producing a movement of the jaws and 6 toward or away from each other depending upon the direction of rotation of the screw 33.

Such movement of the jaws 5 and 6 in opposite directions is achieved by reason of the fact that the lower jaw 5 is provided with a left hand thread in engagement with a left hand threaded portion of the screw 33 while the upper jaw 6 is provided with a right hand thread in engagement with a right hand threaded portion of the screw 33.

The bracket 31 also supports a pair of guide rods 40 which are rigidly secured to the bracket 31 with one guiderod 40 being disposed on each side of the screw 33 and extending parallel thereto. The guide rods 40 are in Sliding engagement with bores 9 formed in cylindrical bosses 41 that are attached to the jaws 5 and 6 as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. Therefore, as the jaws 5 and 6 are moved relative to each other by rotating the screw 33, they are guided in their vertical movement by the guide rods 40 sliding within the bores 9. With this arrangement, the cylindrical receptacles 25 which contain the paint or liquid to be mixed are securely clamped in position to be agitated by placing the receptacle between the jaws 5 and 6 and rotating the screw 33 to tighten the jaws upon the receptacle. After the paint or liquid containing receptacle 25 has been thus secured to the mixing apparatus, the motor 20 is energized to actuate the motion producing mechanism for effecting the combined rotary reciprocal and axial or lateral oscillating movement of the shaft 24. Since the clamp 30 is attached to the shaft 24 through the bracket 31, such movement of the shaft 24 is transmitted to the receptacle 25 which is secured within the clamp 31) to cause a thorough agitation of its contents for mixing it.

The advantages of the present invention lie in the unique arrangement of the jaws 5 and 6 which enable the jaws to clamp either one large can, such as a one gallon can, or four small cans, such as four one quart or four one pint cans between them. Paint is usually furnished by the manufacturer in cylindrical cans of one gallon capacity, one quart capacity, or one pint capacity in addition to the smaller size cans which would not normally be mixed by a power operated apparatus as described above. The conventional clamp jaws 5 and 6 which were previously available for this purpose have been usually provided with concentric recesses for receiving either the one gallon can, the one quart can or the one pint can. However, because of the concentricity of the recesses, only one can could be accommodated at a time regardless of its size. The jaws were constructed in this manner because it was felt that if they were arranged to accommodate more than one can of a particular size, they would have to be too large and cumbersome for the capacity of the machine to provide Sufficient area for accommodating the several cans simultaneously. The present invention however, provides a novel arrangement of the jaws 5 and 6 which enables the jaws to accommodate either a single one gallon can, or up to four one quart or one pint cans without unduly enlarging the area of the jaws. This is ac complished by providing suitable recesses for the cans that are to be placed within the jaws while permitting the four one quart or one pint cans to overlap into the space that would be occupied by the single one gallon can between the jaws.

Such overlapping arrangement is achieved by the unique configuration of a lip or ridge 10 which is disposed about the entire ridge of the jaws 5 and 6 and extends from the surface thereon. The lip 10 extends downwardly from the upper jaw 6 and extends upwardly from the lower jaw 5 so that the cylindrical containers are disposed within the lip 10. The reciprocating and oscillating motion which is imparted to the containers 25 by the mixing apparatus is extremely vigorous and may overcome the clamping pressureexerted by the jaws 5 and 6. The ridges 10 on the jaws 5 and 6 are therefore essential as a safety measure to prevent the cans from accidentally slipping from between the jaws while the contents are being agitated in the event that suflicient clamping pressure has not been applied to the ends of the containers. 1

The jaws 5 and 6 are identical in construction with one complementing the other for cooperatively clamping the containers 25 between them and it will therefore only be necessary to refer to one of the jaws in thisdescription. It will be observed from the view in Figure 3 that the configuration of the jaw 6 resembles a four leaf clover and the jaw 5 shown in Figure 2 is of like construction. Since the ridge 10 extends about the entire edge of the jaw 6 it progresses through four arcs 11 of uniform radius with each of the four arcs having radii of equal length. The radius of the arcs 11 is just slightly larger than the radius of the standard cylindrical one quart paint can so that a quart can may be placed within the area defined by each of the arcs 11. Therefore, four one quart cans may be encompassed by the jaw 6 and each can will be the ridge 10 to prevent its slipping from between the jaws 5 and 6. Since the diameter of the one pint cans in which paint is furnished is smaller than the diameter of the one quart can, these one pint cans may be also received within the arcs 11 and the ridge 10 will prevent their slipping from between the jaws.

In order to enable the jaws 6 to also accommodate a single one gallon can of paint or other liquid, the ridge 10 is arranged to confine such one gallon can between the jaws while permitting the area which it occupies'to overlap upon the area that would be occupied by the one quart cans within the arcs 11. To this end, theridge 10 extends from the terminal of one are 11 to the terminal of the succeeding are 11 by progressing along an are that proceeds along the periphery of a circle of a diameter just slightly larger than the diameter on a one gallon can. Since there are four arcs 11, there are four connecting arcs which connect the terminals of the arcs 11, and the four connecting arcs will be spaced relative to each other about the periphery of the circle.

Thus, an are 45 is of a relatively short length and is of a uniform radius about an axis 16. It will be noticed that the are 45 extends from the terminal of one arc 11 to the terminal of the succeeding are 11 to connect the In a similar manner, a short are 46- two arcs together. is generated about the axis 16 and is of the same radius as the are 45 being disposed to connect the terminals of two succeeding arcs 11. Another short are 47 connects the terminals of the following arcs 11 and is of the same radius as the arcs 45 and 46 with the axis 16 serving as its center. A relatively longer are 48 is likewise of the same radius drawn from the axis 16 and serves to connect the terminals of the succeeding arcs 11.

Thus, the four arcs 45, 46, 47 and 48 all lie in the periphery of the same circle by virtue of the-fact that they have the same radius from the same axis16. This circle upon which the four arcs 45, 46, 47 and 48 lie is just slightly larger than the radius of a one gallon can as previously mentioned, so that a one gallon can may be placed within this circle and it will be retained therein by that portion of the ridge it) which lies withinthe-four arcs 45, 4.6, 47 and 48; It will also be noted that the circle overlaps into the area that would be occupied by the one quafl: cans within the arcs 11 so-that: the different sizecans may be accommodated by the jaws and 6 in a minimum of area to avoid the necessity. of requiring excessively large clamp jaws without in any way detracting from the ability of the jaws to retainthe cans. between them while they are being subjected to the agitating motion.

It is frequently necessary to. mix the contents of a single one quart can of paint and if such. single one quart can were placed within oneof the arcs 11% it would tendto unbalance the apparatus to cause undue vibration of' the mixing apparatus. itself. In. order to: accommodate such single one quart can without placing it within one of the arcs 11, arecess 12 is providedineach of'the jaws 5 and6 in complementary relationship forreceiving the single one quart can, the recess 12 being of circular configuration and of'a diameter just slightly larger than the diameter of a one quart can. When the single can. is placed within this recess 12 it will be substantially. centrally located on the jaws Sand 6 so that the mechanism Will'be in balance to perform its operation.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the jaws 5 and 6 are each provided with reinforcing ribs 55 and 56' that extend from the bosses 41 toward the far end of the jaws. These ribs 55' and 56 serve to resist flexing of the jaws from the force towhich they are subjected when the clamping pressure is applied. However, since the threaded engagement of the female threads 7 and 8 with the screw 33, and the sliding engagement of the bores. 9with. the guide-rods 40 cannot be made absolutely tight, and some flexing may occur in the jaw structure when four one quart cans are tightly clamped within the arcs 11, the extremities of the jaws 5 and 6 opposite the end in engagement with the screw 33 may tend to shift outwardly out of parallelism, causing the extremities of the jaws to separate slightly when the clamping pressure is applied.

This slight separating movement of the outer ends of the jaws 5 and 6 isicompensated for by the provision of two pads 60 and 61 which are formed concentrically with the two outer arcs 11 of the jaw 6 and are raised slightly from the surface of the jaw. The two outer one quart cans located within the two outer arcs 11 of the jaws will therefore be raised slightly from the surface of the jaw 6 and whenlseparation of the outer edges of the jaws does occur, the distance from the surface of the pads 60 and 61 to the surface of the complementary portion of the jaw 5 will be substantially equal to the distance between the surfaces of the two jaws at the inner edge in the vicinity of the screw 33. The clamping pressure applied upon the two outer one quart cans will therefore be approximately equalto the pressure applied to the two one quart cans located within the inner two arcs 11. However, it is to be understood, that the pads 60 and 61 do not extend from the surface of the jaw 6 as high as the ridge 10 which forms the arc 11 so that the ridge 10 will still function to prevent the slippage of the one quart cans from between the jaws 5 and 6 while they are being subjected to the agitating motion.

6 the jaws to be constructed with a minimum amount of area.

Although the illustrative embodimentiof the invention has been described in considerable detail for the purpose of: making afull disclosure of a practical operativestructure by means of which the invention may be practised; it is rto be understood that various novel features of the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms without departing from the spirit and scope of. the invention as defined in the subjoined" claims.

Theprinciplesof the inventionhaving now been fully explained in connection with the foregoing description of embodying structure, I hereby claim as my invention:

1'. In a clamp for a liquid mixing machine for securing cylindrical liquid. containers of large sizes and of small sizes to the machine for agitation and having a pair of jaws movable toward. and away from each otherfor clamping the. liquid containers between them, each of said. jaws comprising;. a=flat plate for. receiving the con tainersra plurality, of relatively small radiusridges protrudingfrom one stu'face. of said plate, each of said ridges extending along the periphery of said plate inan'arcuate path of a radius thereof slightly greater than the. radius ofthesmallsize containers so that a small size container can be partially received within each of said arcs; and a plurality of relatively large radius ridges protruding from the surface of said plate from which said small] radius ridges protrude, eachof said largeradiusridges extending from a terminal of one of' thearcs formed by said small radius ridges to an adjacent terminal of the succeeding are formed by said small radius ridges so that the terminals of the several arcs formed by said small radius ridges are connected together in series by said large radius ridges, each of said large radius ridges being spaced from eachother and extending along the surface of said plate in an arcuate path of uniform radius with each of the arcs being of the same radius generated from the same center so that the arcs formedby the large radius ridges all lie along the periphery of the same circle, the circle being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the large size containers; whereby several small size containers'may be clamped betweenthe jaws of the clamp simultaneously with each small container being partially containedwithin oneof the arcs formed by said small radius ridges to confine them within. the area of said plates or one. large size container; may heclampedrbetweenthe jaws of the clamp with the large container being contained within the-arcsformed by said large radius ridges to confinethe large container.

2. In a clampfor a liquid mixing machine for securing cylindrical liquid containers of large sizesand of small sizes-'to the machine for agitation andhaving a pair of jawsmovable toward and. away from each other for clamping the liquid containers between them, each of said jaws being complementary to each other and comprising; a. flatplate. for receiving the containers to be clamped between the jaws; a plurality of relatively small radius ridges protruding from one surface of said plate, each of said small radius ridges extending along the periphery ofsaid plate in anarcuate path of a radius thereof slightly greater than-the radius of the small size containers so that a small size container can be partially receivedwithin each of the arcs, thejseveral arcs being disposed so as to form a cloverleaf configuration; and a plurality of large radius ridges protrudingfrom the surface. of said plate from which said small radiusridges protrude, said large radius ridges being spaced from each other and extending along a. surface of saidplate in an arcuate path of uniform radius with each of the arcs being of the same radius generated from the same center so that the arcs formed by the large radius ridges all lie along the periph cry of the same circle, the circle being ofa diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the large size containers for receiving the end of a large size container with the circle lying inside of the area occupied by the 'arcsformed by said small radius ridges so that the periphery of the circle does not intersect the arcs formed by said small radius ridges but overlaps a portion of the area that would be occupied by the smalll size containers when located within the arcs formed by said smallradius ridges; whereby several small size containers may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp simultaneously with each small container being partially contained within one of the arcs formed by said small radius ridges to confine them within the area of said plates or one large size container may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp with the end of the large container being contained within the arcs formed by said large radius ridges to confine the large container.

3. In a clamp for a liquid mixing machine for securing cylindrical liquid containers of large sizes and of small sizes to the machine for agitation and having a pair of jaws supported along one side for movement toward and away from each other for clamping the liquid containers between them, each of said jaws being complementary to each other and comprising; a flat plate for receiving the containers to be clamped between the jaws, said fiat plate having a substantially centrally located circular recess of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the small size containers for receiving the end of a small size container; a plurality of relatively small radius ridges protruding from one surface of said plate, each of said small radius ridges extending along the periphery of said plate in an arcuate path of a radius thereof slightly greater than the radius of the small size containers so that a small size container can be partially received within each of the arcs, the several arcs being disposed in a manner to form a cloverleaf configuration; a plurality of relatively large radius ridges protruding from the surface of said plate from which said small radius ridges protrude, said large radius ridges being spaced from each other and extending along the surface of said plate in an arcuate path of uniform radius with each of the arcs being of the same radius generated from the same center so that the arcs formed by the large radius ridges all lie along the periphery of the same circle, the circle being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the large size containers for'receiving the end of a large size container with the circle lying inside of the area occupied by the arcs formed by said small radius ridges so that the periphery of the circle does not intersect the arcs formed by said small radius ridges but overlaps a portion of the area that would be occupied by the small size containers when located within the arcs formed by said small radius ridges; and a pair of pads on said flat plate, each of said pads being formed concentrically with one of the two small radius arcs that are located along the side of said plate that is remote from the side that is supported, said pads being raised slightly from the surface of said plate to provide a bearing surface for receiving the end surface of the two small size containers within the small arcs for the purpose of compensating for the separation of the remote ends of the two jaws due to the clamping pressure; whereby a single small size container may be received within the recess of said plate and clamped between the jaws or several small size containers may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp simultaneously with each small container being partially contained within one of the arcs formed by said small radius ridges to confine them within the area of said plates or one large size container may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp with the large container being contained within the arcs formed by said large radius ridges to confine the large container.

.4. In a clamp for a liquid mixing machine for securing cylindrical liquid containers of large sizes and of small sizes to the machine for agitation and having a pair of jaws supported for movement toward and away for each other for clamping the liquid containers between them, each of said jaws being complementary to each other and comprising; a fiat plate for receiving the containers to be clamped between the jaws, said flat plate having a substantially centrally located circular recess of-a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the small size containers for receiving the end of a small size container; a plurality of relatively small radius ridges protruding from one surface of said plate, each of said small radius ridges extending along the periphery of said plate in an arcuate path of a radius thereofslightly greater than the radius of the small size containers so that a small size container can be partially received within each of the arcs; and a plurality of relatively large radius ridges protruding from the surface of said plate from which said small radius ridges protrude, said large radius ridges being spaced from each other and extending along the surface of said plate in an arcuate path of uniform radius with each of the arcs being of the same radius generated from the same center so that the arcs formed by the large radius ridges all lie along the periphery of the same circle, the circle being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the large size containersfor receiving the end of a large size container with the circle lying inside of the area occupied by the arcs formed by said small radius ridges so that the periphery of the circle does not intersect the arcs formed by said small radius ridges but overlaps a portion of the area that would be occupied by the small size containers when located within the arcs formed by said small radius ridges; whereby a single small size container may be received within the recess of said plate and clamped between the jaws or several small size containers may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp simultaneously with each small container being partially contained within one of the arcs formed by said small radius ridges to confine them within the area of said plates or one large size container may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp with the large container being contained within the arcs formed by said large radius ridges to confine the large container.

5. In a clamp for a liquid mixing machine for securing cylindrical liquid containers of large sizes and of small sizes to the machine for agitation and having a pair of jaws supported along one side for movement toward and away from each other for clamping the liquid containers between them, each of said jaws being complementary to each other and comprising; a flat plate for receiving the containers to be clamped between the jaws; a plurality of small radius ridges protruding from one surface of said plate, each of said small radius ridges extending along the surface of said plate in an arcuate path of a radius thereof slightly greater than the radius of the small size containers so that a small size container can be partially received within each of the arcs, the several arcs being disposed in a manner to form a cloverleaf configuration; a plurality of relatively large radius ridges protruding from the surface of said plate from which said small radius ridges protrude, said large radius ridges being spaced from each other and extending along the surface of said plate in an arcuate path of uniform radius with each of the arcs being of the same radius generated from the same center so that the arcs formed by the large radius ridges all lie along the periphery of the same circle, the circle being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the large size containers for receiving the end of a large size container with the circle lying inside of the area occupied by the arcs formed by said small radius ridges so that the periphery of the circle does not intersect the arcs formed by said small radius ridges but overlaps a portion of the area that would be occupied by the small size containers when located within the arcs formed by said small radius ridges; and a pair of pads on said flat plate, each of said pads being formed concentrically with one of the two small radius arcs that are located along the side of said plate that is remote from the side that is supported, sai'd pads being raised slightly from the surface of said plate to provide a hearing surface for receiving the end surface of the two small size containers within the small arcs for the purpose of compensating for the separation of the remote ends of the two jaws due to the clamping pressure; whereby several small size containers may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp simultaneously with each small container being partially contained within one of the arcs formed by said small radius ridges to confine them within the area of said plates or one large size container may be clamped between the jaws of the clamp with the end of the large container being contained within the arcs formed by said large radius ridges to confine the large container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,380 Whissemore July 28, 1885 847,594 McCreary Mar. 19, 1907 971,438 Gillitt Sept. 27, 1910 2,109,233 Jorgenson Feb. 22, 1938 2,323,403 Jorgenson July 6, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 457,316 Canada June 14, 1949 

